During some injuries, soft tissue, such as tendons or ligaments, can tear away from hard tissue, such as bone. Accordingly, it becomes necessary to reattach the soft tissue to the bone in order to facilitate the healing process. Various types of devices are used to reattach tissue, such as screws, staples and suture anchors. The instant invention relates to this latter type of attachment device.
Suture anchors may be inserted into a preformed hole made in the hard tissue, while other anchors are self-tapping. The anchors typically include an eyelet or other structure through which lengths of repair suture or working suture are threaded, which working suture is inserted simultaneously with the anchor into the hard tissue. In this regard, in some anchors, the eyelet is disposed exteriorly on the anchor, for example adjacent to or even forming part of a drive head located on the proximal end of the anchor, and in other anchors is formed interiorly within a bore defined inside the anchor. The eyelet may be formed from suture material, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6 641 597, and in other instances is formed as a rigid and integral component of the anchor body, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5 584 836. A further suture-engaging structure is disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0222618, wherein the anchor incorporates a rigid pin disposed transversely across an interior bore defined in the anchor. In this variation, the working sutures are inserted into the proximal end of the anchor bore and looped over the pin to secure the suture to the anchor.
An inserter device or driver may be utilized in conjunction with the anchor to install or drive same into hard tissue and may carry working sutures thereon. For the purpose of providing pull-out resistance once the anchor is installed, some anchors are exteriorly threaded, while others are ribbed or barbed to provide appropriate pull-out resistance.
It has been discovered that increasing the biological integration of the suture anchor with the bone in which the anchor is implanted can reduce rejection potential and speed healing. In this regard, one embodiment of a suture anchor according to the invention is hollow and includes a continuous through-bore, so that the tip or distal end of the anchor, which is embedded in the bone tissue, is open, allowing the permeation/migration of blood, bone marrow, and their components (including platelets and messenchymal stem cells) into the repair site. Such permeation of blood into the through-bore leads to the formation of a blood clot which provides a matrix for tissue growth and releases cytokines and other factors that induce tissue regeneration. Additionally, the anchor may be formed of a bio-absorbable material, which also enhances healing and integration of the suture and anchor into the bone tissue.
The suture anchor according to the invention includes an anchor body having a distal end configured for insertion into hard tissue and a proximal end spaced from the distal end. The anchor body carries thereon a suture engagement structure which cooperates with working suture to attach same to the suture anchor. The suture-engaging structure may, according to one embodiment, be defined by suture material, and may be formed as a continuous loop of suture material having a portion thereof located interiorly of the anchor, such that the working suture is looped over this interior portion of the suture loop to engage the working suture with the anchor.
The suture anchor according to the invention is configured for cooperation with an inserter or driver device. The inserter device includes a handle for manipulating the device and an inserter shaft which supports the suture anchor at the distal end thereof. The inserter device carries working sutures, which working sutures are engaged with the anchor via the suture engagement structure as discussed above, and then extend proximally either interiorly or exteriorly of the inserter device.
Additionally, the suture anchor according to the invention includes a pair of passages which extend generally transversely to the anchor axis, which passages open inwardly into the anchor through-bore and outwardly through the exterior surface of the anchor. The suture-engaging structure, which may be in the form of a loop of suture material as discussed above, extends through these passages which effectively secures the structure to the anchor. In one embodiment, the loop of suture material is knotted and the knot located distally. The knot may be located completely within the bore or only partially within the bore such that a portion of the knot projects distally from the distal end of the suture anchor. The anchor body defines a surface adjacent the knot at the distal end which serves to fix the knot axially in position at the distal end of the anchor when same is loaded with force.
One possible use of the arrangement is in arthroscopic shoulder surgery, wherein the dislocation of soft tissue relative to the bone is a fairly common injury. However, this arrangement may also be utilized for the repair of small joints, such as the elbow, wrist, ankle, hand or foot. The arrangement may additionally be used to reattach small ligaments in the knee or the labrum in the hip.
Certain terminology will be used in the following description for convenience in reference only, and will not be limiting. For example, the words “upwardly”, “downwardly”, “rightwardly” and “leftwardly” will refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The words “inwardly” and “outwardly” will refer to directions toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center and designated parts of thereof. The word “distally” will refer to the direction towards the end of the arrangement located closest to the patient, and the word “proximally” will refer to the direction towards the end of the arrangement located remote from the patient. Said terminology will include the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import.